Esto PerpetuaHow Idaho can perpetuate best practices to help students succeed.

2

T H E G O O N I D A H O

R E P O R T

3

4

6

11

14

CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT

GO ON SCHOOLS

RESULTS

LET IT BE PERPETUAL

4

Idaho’s state motto, Esto perpetua (Latin for “Let it be perpetual”), reflects the state’s awareness of how the decisions of yesterday and today can have a lasting impact on the future. Unfortunately, the performance of Idaho’s educational institutions is significantly lacking if the state – and its students – are to be adequately prepared for a future clearly requiring postsecondary education and training. If the state is to flourish, its students need to flourish. If its students are to flourish, they need access to programs and policies that are proven, supported and scaled – perpetuated, in essence. As Idahoans begin to critically examine the state’s educational deficiencies, the long-term challenges appear particularly muddied and difficult to overcome.

Let it be Perpetual

5

THE STATISTICS CAN BE DISCOURAGING

> Idaho ranks 50th in the nation for the proportion of students who graduate from high school on time and go directly to college.1

> Of every 100 students who enroll in an Idaho public college or university:

- 41 will enroll in a 2-year public college. Only 4 will graduate on time; only 10 will graduate in 4 years.

- 59 will enroll in a 4-year public college. Only 9 will graduate on time; only 26 will graduate in 8 years.2

> Only 5% of the state’s Hispanic students are enrolled in higher education.3

> Only 25 percent of people age 25 and older in the state hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.4

> 61 percent of all Idaho jobs will require postsecondary education by 2018.5

> At current college graduation rates, more than half of those positions will be unfilled by Idaho-trained and/or Idaho-educated residents.

1 NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis. “College Participation Rates: College-Going Rates of High School Graduates - Directly from High School.” 2010. http://www.higheredinfo.org/ dbrowser/index.php?submeasure=63&year=2010&level=nation&mode= graph&state=0; retrieved April 2015.

2 Complete College America, Idaho Report 2011. http://www.completecollege.org/state_data, data retrieved April 2015.3 Dearien, C. and Salant, P. University of Idaho. “Idaho at a Glance: Hispanics

and Education.” February 2011. http://www.uidaho.edu/~/media/Files/orgs/CLASS/McClure-Center/Idaho-at-a-Glance/IDG-Hispanics-Education; retrieved April 2015.

4 U.S. Census Bureau. State & County QuickFacts: Idaho. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16000.html; retrieved April 2015

5 Carnevale, A., Smith, N., and Strohl, J. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “State-Level Analysis: Help Wanted - Pro-jections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2019.” June 2010. https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/State-Leve lAnalysis-web.pdf; retrieved April 2015.

In 2010, the State Board of Education boldly set a goal that 60 percent of Idahoans between the ages of 25 and 34 will have a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2020. In an effort to meet this goal and, consequently, change the unfortunate projection of the state’s future education and employability potential, bold new ideas have been implemented by various constituents.

Founded in 1966, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation has been a longtime, Idaho-based supporter of the discovery, development, and expansion of learning en-vironments. Joe Albertson, the founder of the iconic grocery store chain that bears his name, strongly believed that Idaho had raw talent in its students. He understood how important education was to ensure that the state’s history of innovation and perseverance continued in true esto perpetua spirit.

In response to the “60 percent by 2020” goal, the Albertson Family Foundation stepped forward with two key initiatives: Go On Schools, which focused on increasing the number of teens pursuing education after high school, and Continuous Enrollment, which aimed to provide support to increase the number of, and improve graduation rates for nontraditional, high-risk adult college students.

Idaho educators, community leaders and policymakers are well aware of what the future holds

if the state does not strategically focus on providing new and innovative ideas to educate and prepare our

future workforce, leaders and entrepreneurs.

6

G O O NS C H O O L S

6

7

The purpose of the Go On Schools initiative was to provide schools and their communities with the resources and equipment necessary to effectively support, counsel, guide, and mentor all students so they can “go on” to education and/or training beyond high school. The expected outcome was simple yet significant:

Change the culture of a school so that going on is the expectation, not the exception.

In the spring of 2012, all accredited public or private Idaho 6th through 12th grade schools were invited to participate in the Go On Schools initiative. During the 2012-2013 school year, 52 schools applied, and 27 were accepted into the pilot. During the 2013-2014 school year, all six middle schools from the Boise Independent School District withdrew from the pilot. A cohort of 21 schools remains and will complete the third and final year of the pilot in the spring of 2015.

Financially, each school received between $10,000 and $40,000 in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years. During the third and final year, schools received between

$20,000 and $40,000 each. The total grant investment in Go On Schools over the three-year pilot was nearly $2.5 million.

1 // Buhl Middle School, Buhl // 288 students

2 // Caldwell Adventist High School, Caldwell // 87 students

3 // Canyon Springs High School, Caldwell // 474 students

4 // COSSA, Wilder // 140 students

5 / 6 // Emmett Middle High School, Emmett // 1,232 students

7 // Gooding High School, Gooding // 343 students

8 // Homedale High School, Homedale // 342 students

9 // Horseshoe Bend Middle/Sr., Horseshoe Bend // 288 students

10 // Idaho Arts Charter School, Nampa // 690 students

11 // Idaho Distance Education Academy, Statewide // 235 students

12 // Kimberly High School, Kimberly // 422 students

13 // Kuna High School, Kuna // 1,297 students

14 // Middleton High School, Middleton // 951 students

15 // New Plymouth High School, New Plymouth // 274 students

16 // Parma High School, Parma // 205 students

17 // Saint Paul’s School, Nampa // 153 students

18 // Sandpoint High School, Sandpoint // 994 students

19 // Soda Springs High School, Soda Springs // 238 students

20 // Vallivue High School, Caldwell // 1,714 students

21 // Lowell Scott Middle School, Meridian // 1,019 students

Click to watch “The Culture to Go On”

8

AIM HIGHSet high expectations (academically and otherwise)and get/give support and extra help when challenges arise.

MAKE A PLAN Students develop, track, and update a plan for how they will prepare for education after high school with support and guidance from schools’ faculty and staff, the community and parents.

GET READY Students complete rigorous courses, tech-prep, Advanced Placement, and dual-credit classes.

GO ON Students take college assessments (such as the ACT and SAT), complete the FAFSA and college application and scholarship forms, visit campuses, and are exposed to college and career experiences with the guidance and support of peers and adults who care.

The Go On program asks students and educators to focus on four important building blocks

9

The goal of Go On Schools was to have an entire community intentionally invested in and committed to building a culture to go on, with the expectation that student choices – and, consequently, student lives – would be changed.

Over the course of the multiyear pilot, a committed multidisciplinary team of teachers, administrators, and counselors – in partnership with families and business and community leaders – worked together to present postsecondary education and training to students as not only feasible and attainable but also realistic and accessible.

Schools implemented similar programs throughout the cohort (such as college and career fairs, parent newsletters, and college campus visits) and created school-specific programs (such as college- and career-themed assemblies or a mural designed and painted by students). Additionally, dual-credit and advanced placement courses that allowed students to earn college credits while still in high school were promoted as ways to reduce the time and costs needed to earn a college degree.

9

Click to watch “Changing the Family Tree”

10

The Go On program worked with a small yet statistically significant cohort, comprising:> 16 high schools and 5 middle schools > 12,365 students> 12 rural high schools> two rural middle schools> two alternative high schools> two charter schools> two private schools> 14 schools with more than 50 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches (the state average is 49 percent)

11

C O N T I N U O U SE N R O L L M E N T

The Continuous Enrollment initiative was designed to help Idaho’s community and technical colleges retool their practices to improve retention and graduation rates for nontraditional students.

11

Click to watch “Guided Pathways to Success”

12

Nontraditional students are typically older, enrolled less than full-time, have experienced a gap of a year or more since attending or graduating from high school, are often working part-time, commute to campus and have limited resources.

Five higher education institutions were funded for the Continuous Enrollment Initiative in 2011. Their charge was to:

> Assemble a cross-disciplinary team, including representatives from adult basic education, institutional research, student services, financial aid, and administration.

> Develop a student support plan based on proven best practices targeted at nontraditional students that allowed them to earn a certificate or associate degree without incurring overwhelming debt.

> Employ a rigorous data measurement and management program that focused on student progress results.

> Increase collaboration and support from campus-wide leaders, faculty, and staff in delivering retention best practices, systemically.

Faculty and administrators on each of the five campuses were allowed to determine the specifics of how best practices could be applied to their particular campus infrastructure and student population.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS INCLUDED:

> College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls

> Eastern Idaho Technical College, Idaho Falls

> Idaho State University, College of Technology, Pocatello

> Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston

> North Idaho College, Coeur d’ Alene

13

More than 1,100 students participated in the program, with the average student age being 28.

Upon entering the Continuous Enrollment program:

> 76 percent had a general education development (GED) background

> 87 percent required remedial course work after testing below college level in math and/or English

> 28 percent identified as nonwhite (almost twice the average number for 2010 census)

> 44 percent enrolled full time; 33 percent enrolled part time; 22 percent mix-enrolled (combination of full-time/ part-time enrollment during six semesters)

> 95 percent were eligible for some type of financial assistance as part of the project

Over the four-year grant cycle, the five participating schools received more than $6.5 million from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation.

Given the challenges inherent with this student demographic – particularly when placed within Idaho’s traditionally under-performing education systems – drastic improvements and outcomes can seem unrealistic, if not downright unattainable.

...drastic improvements and outcomes can seem unrealistic,

if not downright unattainable.

14

Idaho is known as “The Gem State” because of the more than 240 minerals – often rare and of high quality – that can be found within its landscape. Some, like the star garnet, are only found in one or two locations on earth. The state knows quite well how to sift through challenging environments to find the prized, valuable resources that lie beneath.

Even though Go On and Continuous Enrollment encountered familiar obstacles faced by many programs working to create meaningful, sustainable change, they both demonstrated – in remarkable ways – one of Idaho’s greatest strengths.

Both the Go On and Continuous Enrollment

programs have proven to be gems in their own right within

the otherwise challenging Idaho educational landscape.

The results from both programs are impressive.

Two gems emerge

15

GO ON SCHOOLS RESULTS

While using quantifiable data to track a shift in a school’s culture can be challenging, key indicators exemplify a significant change in student awareness and behaviors. at Go On Schools:

> College application completion increased from 67 percent in the 2012-2013 academic year to 80 percent.

> Dual enrollment credits increased 33 percent, from the 2012-2013 academic year to the 2013-2014 academic year. Idaho’s increase during the same period was 10.8 percent.

> FAFSA completion rates increased from 50.9 percent in the 2012-2013 academic year to 56.9 percent in the 2013-2014 academic year.

> Postsecondary enrollment immediately after high school increased significantly:

2011: 44 percent 2012: 47.1 percent 2013: 48.6 percent 2013 STATEWIDE FIGURE: 46 percent

> Postsecondary enrollment within one year after high school:

2011: 48.9 percent 2012: 52.5 percent 2013: 54.3 percent 2013 STATEWIDE FIGURE: 53 percent

> Postsecondary remediation decreased from 36.5 percent in 2012 to 21 percent in 2013.

> PSAT completion rates grew from 25 percent in 2012-2013 to 52 percent in 2013-2014.

> Advance placement tests (taken at three high schools increased by 36 percent improving from 385 tests taken in the 2012-2013 academic year to 524 tests taken in the 2013-2014 academic year.

The results are in

16

CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT RESULTS

The impact of the Continuous Enrollment initiative has proven similarly noteworthy.

Four years of student progress data have shown:

> Participants’ average GPA was 2.7. General first-year student average is 2.57; for students entering with a GED, the average GPA is 1.89.

> Almost 70 percent of participants were retained in programs after the first year—a nearly 500 percent increase over the national average for students entering college with a GED and over 15 percent higher retention than the general population of first-year community college students in Idaho.

> 75 percent of all credits attempted in the first year were completed, in contrast to a 59 percent credit completion rate for traditional students at the end of their first year of community college.

> 86 percent of participants were successfully matriculated into credit-bearing courses using accelerated remediation or tutorial programs.

> More than 90 percent of participants in mentoring rated it as a positive retention factor in survey results from two pilot projects.

> Participants who developed credential-related goals through intrusive academic advising had GPAs that were twice as high as those who did not develop credential goals (2.62 vs. 1.16).

> 19 percent of participants achieved a certificate or associate-level degree within two years. In contrast, a Northern Virginia Community College study reported the graduation rates of all GED entry students at 4.6 percent over a five-year period and 11.8% over a seven- year period.

17

GO ON AMBASSADORS FROM HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE TREASURE VALLEY

PREPARE TO CARRY THE GO ON BANNER ONTO BOISE STATE’S BLUE TURF

DURING HALF TIME.

With their impact and results, however, come critical questions. What key aspects of each program were instrumental in its success? What do these successes mean for those looking to ensure that Idaho remains committed to these programs so that the state’s students can continue to change their education and employment trajectory? If these programs—and their results – are indeed as transformative as they appear, how can they be scaled so all Idaho students and communities benefit? In essence: what do future administrators, educators, and policymakers need to know so that these successful efforts can continue in true Idaho esto perpetua spirit?

17

Over the past several years and through multiple key indicators, the Go On and Continuous Enrollment

programs have demonstrated that both programs are indeed Idaho gems, noteworthy for their

approaches as well as their successes.

18

B E S TP R A C T I C E S

GO ON SCHOOLS AND CONTINUOUS

ENROLLMENT

18

19

The initial years of the Go On and Continuous Enrollment initiatives demonstrated that several key elements of

the programs were critical for students’ success. While experimentation was an important part of the program’s growth and development, the following practices proved

most successful in creating a school’s culture.

COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIRS

More than 2,150 students from Go On Schools attended a college or career fair during the first semester of the 2014-2015 school year. Students (and sometimes their family members) learned about a number of college and career options, and connected with college admission representatives, asked questions, received information, and better understood the college application and enrollment process. This is especially important for families who may not be familiar with navigating the complex systems in higher education.

SENIOR PROJECTS

Idaho requires the completion of a senior project for graduation. Building college and career readiness activities into senior projects allows students to develop the tools necessary for handling large, multi-semester assignments. Senior projects also require students to explore college and career ideas in individual, self-directed ways. This teaches students critical skills for college-level success and creates an appreciation for how individual choices connect to future education and employment opportunities.

Go On SchoolsBEST PRACTICES: HIGH SCHOOLS

COLLEGE VISITS

More than 1,470 high school juniors and seniors from Go On Schools visited colleges as part of school-sponsored trips in the fall semester of 2014. College visits result in a significant shift of perspective for many students as they begin to create a different story for their future.

GO ON AMBASSADORS

Student ambassadors lead and promote Go On activities and student learning, including serving as peer mentors and tutors, and help evaluate ways to make the program more efficient and applicable to student life. Student-to-student connections can help students educate, empower, and connect with each other in ways that teachers and administrators simply cannot.

INTERNSHIPS

Internships provide valuable exposure to career opportunities and help solidify the connection between – and relevance of – pursuing education or training after high school. Internships provide real-world experience and skills, and expose students to the internal workings of local businesses, career options and the direct relevancy of what they are learning in school. They also allow schools and the business community to build formal partnerships.

20

INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

Intensive academic support is provided to students during and after school. Given the challenges students face, having both proactive and reactive intervention programs has proven especially important. For example, Sandpoint High School’s First Generation program helps first-generation students and their parents navigate the journey to college through a well-designed support program.

FAFSA NIGHTS

Support is provided for parents, guardians, and studentsin completing FAFSA applications and is often accompanied by dinner, additional financial aid information, and counseling from college representatives about college costs and funding options. Hosting two programs a year – one in the fall that explains the FAFSA form and submission process as well as one in the winter that walks parents through completion – have proven effective for increasing FAFSA form completion.

COLLEGE AND CAREER PORTFOLIOS AND ADVISORY CLASSESCollege and career readiness activities are integrated into advisory periods and stored in electronic portfolios. Digital portfolios can be adjusted and modified as students continue to explore and plan for college and career options. Parents also have access to these plans and contribute and participate accordingly.

GO ON PARENT NEWSLETTERS

Written by school staff, Go On newsletters educate parents about the key steps necessary for postsecondary access and success as well as highlight important deadlines. This timely information source can be both highly relevant and highly important for families where one or more parent has not enrolled in or graduated from college.

DUAL CREDIT AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAMS

These programs make it possible for students to start college with large numbers of college credits, thereby reducing the amount of time and money needed to earn a degree. Additionally, the Idaho Fast Forward program provides extra financial help to pay for dual credit courses, college credit-bearing exams, and career and professional-technical exams.

20

21

The Go On Ambassadors at Kimberly High School won the 2014-2015 Spirit Award at the Idaho Student Body Leadership Conference; Homedale High School’s

Go On Ambassadors also won a first-place award from

the Idaho Human Rights Commission in the 2013-2014

academic year for their project to redesign the lunchtime

environment at their school.

22

Go On SchoolsBEST PRACTICES: MIDDLE SCHOOLS

While several best practices for Go On programs are applicable for both middle and high school communities, there are several additional elements that proved effective for middle schools:

REALITY TOWN

Parents and community members put on a financial simulation where students learn about the financial challenges of adulthood and the financial benefits of education. Students are assigned a job and income based on their GPA and are required to navigate through their “adult life” by interacting with representatives from local institutions like a bank, insurance company, and car dealership.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT JOB SHADOWS

Students have a chance to spend part of a day with a person working in a career of interest to them. Junior Achievement provides flexibility and choices to students, families, and communities by letting each choose the options that work best for their individual situations.

Caldwell Adventist School was chosen as the 2013-2014 Junior Achievement School of the Year for its implementation of student job shadows and Junior Achievement programs in every classroom.

Click to watch “Engage the Future”

23

Continuous EnrollmentBEST PRACTICES

The success of Continuous Enrollment resulted from the consistency and interconnectivity of several key elements. These include:

INTRUSIVE JUST-IN-TIME ADVISING

For nontraditional students understanding and navigating the college culture can be challenging. Intrusive advising allowed advisors to be proactive about identifying, addressing, and finding solutions for challenges before they became too big for students to overcome. By being highly proactive, staff ensured that any challenges – expected or not – encountered by students in the program were dealt with immediately. Clear, semester-by-semester course plans leading to students’ credential goals were created; class attendance was monitored; and regularly scheduled face-to-face meetings with students were particularly critical.

STUDENT COHORT LEARNING COMMUNITIES

An intentional, purposeful plan placed students into strategic academic or social learning communities. This cohesive shared experience and group identity allowed students to support, connect with, and learn from each other. Additionally, becausestudents with similar strengths and weaknesses were matched together, the content and skills covered within each community could be tailored to that particular group’s most critical needs.

COLLEGE NAVIGATION SKILLS COURSE

This weekly first semester course taught students a diverse range of critical college navigation skills, including financial management, academic study and testing,technology, self-organization and planning, and campus and career exploration.

ACCELERATED MATH REMEDIATION

Remedial students graduate at about half the rate of their college-ready peers. The Continuous Enrollment program accelerated math remediation and transformed existing remediation approaches by delivering any needed remediation simultaneously with full-credit, college-level courses that counted toward students’ degrees.

EARLY ALERT AND INTERVENTION

An early warning process was triggered by faculty, advisors, and cohort coaches when a struggling student needed support intervention. Staff worked with students to mitigate barriers to academic success on the pathway to completion, especiallyduring the first semester when students are most likely to face difficulty.

24

H O W W I L L I D A H O

G O O N ?

24

25

Given the success of Go On and

Continuous Enrollment as well as

the best practices that have been

identified as most essential for their

impressive performance, several

key policy implications emerge.

PERPETUATE BEST PRACTICES

LISTEN AND LEARN

State leaders, including the governor, the Idaho State Department of Education, the Idaho State Board of Education, and the Departments of Labor and Commerce, should recognize, celebrate, and learn what works from the deep expertise in the Go On Schools and Continuous Enrollment initiatives. All students deserve to benefit from these proven practices.

FUND WHAT WORKS

State leaders should scale what is working at these 28 secondary and postsecondary institutions with a seed fund that would catalyze the adoption of these practices in more schools.

SHINE THE LIGHT

Idaho’s labor and commerce agencies should spotlight the bright spots and work with schools to scale internships, make connections to the business community, and open doors to additional funding.

GET GREAT LEADERS

Idaho needs strong, capable leaders in all critical areas, whether it be at a high school, at a college, or on the statewide level. Those responsible for changing cultures,motivating students (and others), implementing change, and providing overall direction for transformational shifts need to be fully committed to the process and their primary constituents: students. Leaders must provide consistent support and be held accountable for results and for setting a course for student success.

TRAIN AND SUPPORT COUNSELORS

The number of counselors is not necessarily the problem – or the solution. The quality, training, and support of counselors and their fellow educators are what matter most.

Of critical importance at the high school level is having well-trained counselors whose emphasis on post-high school college and career options echo the messages students hear from all educators they encounter.

Click to watch “New Plymouth Idaho | Dual Credit”

26

PROMOTE DATA USE

The potential to use data as a resource to inform policy, practice, and communication can prove transformative for student success. Additionally, there is a need for coordination between systems and efforts surrounding data collection.

STRENGTHEN PATHWAYS

Developing pathways between all sectors of the community, led by business and higher education, must be a higher priority. Whether it’s through high school internships or college-level career training programs, partnerships with the private sector present an opportunity to increase relevancy while simultaneously better preparing Idaho’s future workforce. Additionally, partnerships, collaborations, and pathways between high schools and area colleges/universities must be strengthened.

27

While Go On and Continuous Enrollment may very well have emerged as recently discovered gems within Idaho’s education context, the programs’ effectiveness and perpetuity depend heavily on how policymakers and other key stakeholders plan to carry their success forward. The state’s motto and ethos of longevity – esto perpetua – depends upon the discoverers of today understanding and implementing systems that can maintain achievement long into the future.

As Idaho students – and its citizens – face a future that requires postsecondary education and training in a way that is currently not being realized, the

Go On and Continuous Enrollment initiatives offer a promise of what is possible if Idahoans match up the raw talent of their students with innovative, successful programs.

...the programs’ effectiveness

and perpetuity depend heavily on how

policymakers and other key stakeholders

plan to carry their success forward.

28

Special thanks to project managers Bruce Schultz and Rob King for their time, attention to detail, nudging, coaching, and holding people accountable. Bruce and Rob were fundamental to the success of these initiatives.

SPRING 2015